Saturday, July 22, 2017

Hyderabad: The demand for the return of the only surviving aircraft of the now defunct Hyderabad Squadron of the Royal Air Force (RAF), UK, is getting louder. The Hyderabad Squadron 110 of the RAF that played a crucial role in two World Wars turns 100 on November 1. The aircraft, DH9A (De Havilland 9A), belonging to the Hyderabad Squadron 110, is now parked at the RAF Museum in London. The aircraft has been restored and it is in a working condition. City heritage activists have renewed the demand that DH9A aircraft be returned to Hyderabad for display in the city in a fitting tribute to the contribution of the princely state of Hyderabad to the victory of the Allied Forces in two World Wars.
That this year happens to be the centenary of the Hyderabad Squadron 110 calls for celebration. Hyderabad, which participated in two World Wars, does not have any memorabilia.All the war material deployed by the princely state were left on foreign soil. The only surviving memory is the DH9A aircraft.
The Nizam VII, Mir Osman Ali Khan, had donated as many as 18 aircraft to the RAF during World War I and World War II.The aircraft were divided among three squadrons named after Hyderabad - 110, 152 and 253 squadrons. The surviving aircraft belongs to squadron 110. The aircraft of other two squadrons do not exist now. The RAF formed on November 1, 1917 was heavily funded by Mir Osman Ali Khan. The Nizam had donated 10 lakh dollars to the British air force between December 1914 and March 1917.Apart from purchasing aircraft, the British government used the money for ambulances, motor cars and animals like horses, mules and camels for use in war.
22/07/17 Syed Akbar/Times of India